For Now or Later
by xoDaisyxo
Summary: When terminally ill, 15-year-old Hailie is magically transported to the Sunshine Archipelago, is it the end of her old life? Or could it just be the beginning of a new one?
1. Prologue

Hailie sighed. She was doing a lot of that these days. Sighing had become almost a recreational sport, as it was one of the only physical activities deemed 'safe'. Not that she could exactly play soccer, stuck in this hospital bed. Sigh.

"Hailie? You up?" A blond woman peeked around the corner of the doorway. Seeing that Hailie was indeed awake, the woman shuffled into the room, flashing a pearly white smile.

"Hi Sherri." Hailie said, smiling. Sherri asked if she was awake every time she came to visit. Hailie never once slept during the day, but she would ask nonetheless. "What's up?"

Sherri smiled a tight smile. "Not mu-u-uch," she said softly, dragging her words out in a sophisticated drawl. For some reason, whenever she spoke to Hailie she mysteriously re-assumed her 'down on the home front' accent, an accent she had otherwise shed when she left Georgia at age twenty-one. Her red lips looked tense, and her pretty blue eyes looked a little dull.

Hailie's smile did not waver. Sherri was her stepmother, and, ever since Hailie was six, she was the closest thing to a real mother she had ever had. In the beginning, Sherri had treated her normally, not so reserved and distant as now. Sometimes Hailie still woke up after particularly bad nights at the hospital with all these memories of the old Sherri she hadn't have before- most recently a failed Mother's Day breakfast in bed, resorting in laughter from Sherri as Hailie's father pushed away the burnt toast and pulled Hailie into bed with them. That sort of thing had been long pushed aside and forgotten, as it was only a brief period in her life- two years time. The last two years before she had gotten the disease.

The disease. It started out nothing, just a small concern that had turned into a casual appointment. A casual appointment that had turned into several appointments with different high ranking doctors. Several appointments that had turned into several tests, which turned into several scans, which turned into one single diagnosis. That single diagnosis changed everything.

Hailie was eight years old then. Young, very young, all the doctors had said, clicking their tongues. But she had been old enough to see the whispered fights between Sherri and her father. Old enough to notice the strain in Sherri's face, the pretenses she began to assume as Hailie's father stopped visiting the hospital and started staying later and later at work. It had only gotten worse as the disease progressed.

"Well, come on in," Hailie directed to Sherri, noting that she was still swaying awkwardly in the doorway. Hailie smiled and gestured for her to take a seat. Sherri was certainly not all bad, just the opposite in fact. She had stuck by Hailie like she was her own daughter, single-handedly propping up a workaholic husband and a terminally ill daughter while still keeping herself mostly sane, all at under forty years old. This was something she had never asked for, never factored into the seemingly seamless happily-ever-after she was supposed to enjoy with her rich new husband.

Sherri sat gracefully on Hailie's bed with another strained smile. Hailie marveled, as she often did, at Sherri's perpetually flawless appearance- not one blond strand was out of place.

"So I was out shopping," Sherri started. Big surprise, Hailie thought meanly, before taking it back a split second later, "And I saw this." Sherri's French-manicured hands slid a little box out of her immense purse, handing it to Hailie.

"For me?" Hailie asked, tearing into the plain wrapping paper. Inside was a brand-new copy of _Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands_. Hailie's eyes lit up with delight.

"Thanks, Sher!" She cried, pulling Sherri into a tight one-armed hug. "I've been wanting this so much, I don't believe it." The traces of a real smile showed faintly on Sherri's lips.

"Yeah, well, you're welcome," Sherri said, getting up to retrieve Hailie's DS from the painfully sterilized bureau situated in the corner of the hospital room. "Your dad should be coming later, Sweetie, he had work. But I talked to the doctors, and they say that we could really beat this thing this time. Wouldn't that be great?" Sherri rambled on for a few minutes, squeezing Hailie's hand affectionately before rising to walk for the door. It pained Hailie to see the how much hope Sherri still clung to for her. This would be much easier if the woman could just give up

"Thank you," Hailie whispered softly, watching Sherri's slim figure disappear down the white, white hall.

* * *

Once Sherri had left, Hailie immediately sat up in the uncomfortable bed, slipping the new game into her DS. She tapped the screen impatiently with her stylus, clicking the icon in the left of the screen to start her game. To her surprise, she was greeted by the pixilated face of the Harvest Goddess.

"Hello!" the Goddess piped up in a fake, computer-induced tone. "Welcome to Sunshine Islands. These islands have been waiting for you." The Goddess grinned, her warm eyes eerily looking almost real in their emotion. "And, though you may not know it, you have also been waiting for them!" The on-screen face winked happily. Hailie felt chills run down her sides. The voice was gradually beginning to sound more real, almost… Life-like. "Are you ready to begin your journey," The Goddess continued, her face suddenly serious, "Hailie?"

Hailie's eyes grew wide. It knew her name? But then… Perhaps she had put that on the system, and the game was just reading off the DS hard drive. Right! Still, Hailie felt herself hesitate irrationally when the two cheerful choice bubbles appeared on the screen. Yes or no. Hailie sucked in her breath and brought the stylus down onto yes. Then the room went dark.

* * *

**I know, I know. Cliché storyline much? I know that the whole sucked-into-my game thing is often overdone, but I've been dying to do one anyway. Illnesses are also overused, but Hailie's story just… Came to me? :P Also, Hailie's disease will most likely remain unnamed (so that I don't insult anyone with my huge lack of knowledge) but it's supposed to be Leukemia...**

**Anyway, I have wanted to write this for a while, so enjoy! Chapter 1 was a bit sentimental for my taste, but it was necessary to the story, so bear with me. :) Reviews are wanted + welcome, thanks for reading!**


	2. A New Start

Hailie tentatively opened her eyes. She was met with pure blue, far as the eye could see. _Ah, _she thought to herself, _the sky._ She closed her eyes happily, now aware of the sun comfortably warming her face. _I wonder where I am, _she mused lazily. _Or… Why I'm here?_ For a second Hailie tried to remember the events that had led her here, wherever 'here' was. Nothing. Only nothing. Her memory was gone. Hailie sat stone still for a moment, pondering how she felt about this. She was ready for a breakdown any minute. She felt… Not too bad actually, not nearly as bad as you might expect. So the real question was, where was she?

Hailie sprang up, ignoring the head rush as she looked from side to side. She was on a beach somewhere. A large, seaweed covered rock had propped her up, and she sat facing the menacing ocean. Around her there were a few buildings, even a large mansion in the distance. She had half expected it to be a deserted island.

Hailie weakly reached up a hand, pulling herself up on the rock. She was not wet, ruling out the ocean as her source of transportation. Maybe… Had she gotten here by air? No, impossible. Was it a dream?

"Hey!" A gruff voice pulled her out of her dazed trance. "Hey, are you ok?"

Hailie whipped around to where a small old man stood. He feebly gripped at a walking stick, glaring at her with one shaky hand on his hip. He looked familiar somehow… If only she could remember.

"Who are you?" Hailie asked him blankly, feeling rather cheerful. Her unfortunate predicament had not totally settled in yet. Denial, some might call it. The old man made a face.

"My name is Taro. More importantly, who are _you_?"

"My name is Hailie," She said feebly. This all felt too real to be a dream, a bit too strange. If it were a dream, wouldn't she have her memory?

"Well, Hailie, what brings you to Sprout Island?" The old man surveyed her suspiciously, frowning. She was struck with how odd this whole thing must seem to him: some weird stranger, confused and alone on a beach.

"Is this place… Sprout Island?" She asked, biting her lip. Bad habit, one she must have picked up pre-memory loss. Could she really remember nothing?

Realization dawned in Taro's eyes. "Are _you_ the new rancher? You must be, her name was supposed to be Hailie!"

Rancher, rancher… Was she? She had no idea. "I don't…" Hailie began, sniffling. What she had meant to say was I don't know, but before she could she was interrupted by a wave of tears. She had begun to cry, seemingly out of the blue. The awfulness of her situation had begun to sink in.

Taro leapt back, startled by the sudden wailing. "Hey," he said awkwardly in an attempted reassuring voice, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," She choked, trying to contain her sobs. "I was fine just two seconds ago, but… but I don't know!" A new wave of tears ran down her face. Where had her earlier calm gone? Memory loss seemed much more daunting with only those words, 'Are you the new rancher?' Hailie didn't know who she was. All that was left for her was her name.

Taro looked nervous. "Stop it, ok? Don't cry?" Hailie kept crying. "Stop, really… It's ok… Just… Just… JUST STOP CRYING!"

Hailie's tears ceased immediately. Had the old man- Taro- just yelled at her? His slightly startled expression confirmed that he had, though perhaps not entirely on purpose. Hailie let out a small huff of a laugh, drying her eyes. "Harsh." she said hoarsely.

Taro frowned, squinting into the sun. He did not seem one to linger on things such as an unexpected outburst of tears. "So," he said cautiously, examining her to see if she was truly done crying, "You can't remember? Is that it?"

Hailie nodded pitifully. "I can't."

He sighed. "If your name is really Hailie, then I assume you are the new rancher. Maybe if we get you settled in your farm we can start to figure this out." He set off without another word, obviously expecting Hailie to follow suit. She scrambled after him, surprised into obedience by his sudden all-business demeanor.

Taro led Hailie over two bridges. These long wooden bridges seemed to connect the islands (Taro had called it the Sunshine Archipelago), leading from one to the next seamlessly, though walking over such expanses of water was a bit daunting. The island she had arrived in, he informed her, was Sprout Island, and this next one was Verdure Island. From here she could take the (very long!) bridge straight to her supposed home. She hadn't paid much attention to scenery- she had only just only rapped her brain around the concept that there was a smattering of shops on Verdure Island, and there seemed to be a somewhere to dine on both of the islands. Taro had pointed out that these were, in his words, the island's "Hot Spots."

Speaking of Taro, he seemed rather calm for someone a stranger had randomly spilled her guts to. He led her surely over the second bridge now, describing that she was to be the island's new farmer, and was therefore granted her real estate free of charge. Hailie listened silently, wiping at her eyes meekly as she followed him to her new home. It was difficult to resist the urge to ask him all kinds of questions: Did he know who she was, why was she appointed farmer, where was she from, etc. Taro had already specified to her quite clearly that he knew nothing except she had replied a week ago via letter to an ad for a new farmer.

"You're not the only new one, you know," he said as they closed in on a small shack. Behind the shack was a wide expanse of land, so it seemed safe to assume this was her new farm. It definitely could use some fixing up, but then again, how long could she even stay here?

"The whole village is new!" Taro continued excitedly, flinging his arms out as if to display the barren landscape she was to call home.

"Wow," Hailie breathed. It may not be paradise, but even with her blank memory she was certain she had never had a whole big plot such as this to herself before.

Taro nodded vigorously, pleased by her response. "It's nice, yes? You'll need these if you plan to farm." He pulled a simple brown rucksack from his back. Hailie opened it up warily, unsure what to expect. Inside there was a hoe, a hammer, a watering can, and 2 bags of turnip seeds. "That should do it for now," Taro said with another nod. "You can upgrade your tools with Gonzo on Sprout Island. Seeds come from Chen's. He, like myself, will be residing on Verdure Island." The old man grinned, his hairy tufts of eyebrows wiggling. "And of course," he said happily, "You can ship anything you produce via my family." He gestured to what Hailie assumed was a shipping box. "You look just about Elliot's age," he mused with a feisty look, his eyes glinting. "I'll introduce you tomorrow!"

Hailie stared shyly around her new ranch, hoisting the rucksack onto her shoulders. "This is a lot to take in. I mean…" She paused, her eyes wandering farther away from Taro's. His blatant reference to this Elliot- his grandson perhaps? - Had her wondering if she could have forgotten a special someone. "… Maybe I'm not meant to be here?"

Taro frowned at her. "Well," he snapped, "you did apply for the position, so obviously you needed a break. If I were you, I would learn to live with it pretty darn soon." He glared at her, showing he had an obvious no-nonsense side she had not picked up on before. She smiled sadly in agreement.

"You're right. I'll do my best." It wasn't as if she had any other options, after all. She had nowhere else to turn, and for a minute that simple fact felt unbearably lonely. "So, where are the other villagers?" She asked. She hadn't seen anyone on her walk to the farm.

"Festival," he said, pointing a withered finger at the farmhouse. "You're all set with a calendar in there, if you want to take a look later. We have several festivals. But for now," he raised his eyebrows suggestively at her appearance. She glanced down at herself, only now aware of her outfit: Long baggy jeans and a very oversized cotton blue t-shirt. "... You should get some sleep. Mirabelle can fix you up with clothes in the morning, her daughter Julia is about your size. She lives… " He paused, digging around in his pocket. "Never mind, I have a map!" He fished out a map, handing it to her. "Everyone and everything should be marked accordingly," he said, turning around. "I suggest using tomorrow to get acquainted with your new neighbors."

Hailie stared after him as he strolled away. She had meant it when she said it was a lot to take in… That was an understatement. She looked over the empty field once more before entering her new house and falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Another painfully boring installment. Why do I bother? :P Should get interesting soon, hang in there. Anyway, Hailie will be meeting quite a few potential bachelors tomorrow, so I ask my (painfully few) readers: Who should Hailie date? I make no promises that she will end up with them, but do you have any suggestions as to her first romantic conquest? I'm going for a new chapter every one or two days, at least in the beginning, so please stick with me, and thanks for reading! **

**P.S. Review, review!**


	3. First Encounters

When she awoke the next morning, Hailie was half hoping that her memory would come flying back, and that maybe she could just pick up where her mysterious old life had left off. No such luck, of course. Hailie laid still in frustration on her small trundle bed for a moment, and then forced herself to sit up. The clock on her nightstand read 6:03. She groaned groggily and pulled herself out of the cozy bed.

The rumpled clothes she had slept in were the same as the ones she had on yesterday. Nice. The very last thing Hailie felt like doing was meeting an entire town full of strangers, and this prospect became even less exciting in smelly, crinkled clothes. Hailie made a face and strolled over to her calendar, stalling shamelessly. Today was Spring 2nd, which meant that the festival everyone was preoccupied with yesterday was the Rice Candy Festival. That meant… Taro had chosen to give up an annual event to wait for her. Hailie smiled. The first thing she was doing was giving Taro a gift. He had warned her only yesterday that the closet way to any of the islanders' hearts was through gifts. So what to get for Taro?

"First things first," Hailie muttered to herself, pushing open her light door as slowly as if entering her own execution. That was a mistake, as the only thing worse than two-day-old slept-in baggy clothing is two-day-old slept-in baggy clothing in direct sunlight. Reluctant to leave the farm, Hailie bounced from foot to foot, contemplating her options, and decided to go for a straight run to avoid exposure. She set off like a flash down the long bridge to Verdure Island, squinting her eyes shut in embarrassment.

"Ahh!" she yelped, running head first into something. Something… Soft. And warm. Oh crap. Hailie opened one eye nervously, already certain of what she was going to see.

A tall cowboy stood in front of her, glaring meanly. Hailie shrank back.

"… Watch where you're going." the cowboy growled, enunciating each word with a sour face. Hailie felt unsure how to react. She found herself helplessly wondering: What would the old me do in a situation like this? The real me?

"Sor-ry. It's not like I was aiming for you, ya know," The current her spat out automatically, completely ignoring her mind. Oops. The cowboy's violet eyes widened, and he tipped his hat down a little.

"… Whatever." He muttered, pushing past her with a final sneer at her messy clothes. Well, maybe he didn't sneer, but Hailie was sure that he wanted to. The jerk.

He slunk away from Hailie… Straight into Mirabelle's, Hailie's only hope of clean outfits. She checked her map 6 more times, each time willing the fates to intervene and change up the labels so that Mirabelle's would miraculously switch with Chen's. She was too embarrassed to go in there, ever, if it meant facing him.

Obviously, the map refused to change, and Hailie was forced to huddle into Mirabelle's at the risk of being seen standing in the middle of an empty road wearing the most hideous clothing imaginable. Clothing. Funny how she was getting hung up over something that didn't really matter, just to avoid the real issues. Hilarious.

At that moment, the 'real issue' was a cranky cowboy. Hailie explicitly ignored him when she walked into the shop, going straight for whom she assumed was Mirabelle.

Mirabelle was a jovial, blond haired woman with big dimples and even bigger clear blue eyes. She smiled cheerfully when Hailie walked up to her.

"You must be Hailie- Taro told me all about you! Let's see what we can do, hm?" she said, eyes twinkling. She bustled from behind the shop counter (it seemed to be a livestock shop) and rested a pudgy hand on Hailie's shoulder. "You look just the same age as my Julia!" Mirabelle beamed, directing Hailie into a bedroom. She gestured for Hailie to take a seat on the bed as she dug through what was presumably Julia's wardrobe. She pulled out a few nice things.

"These are a little big for Julia," Mirabelle said, "but I think you can pull it off." She handed Hailie a small stack of clothes: A soft, deep indigo tank top, a pair of mottled jean shorts, a pair of white sweatpants, and a red v-neck tee. "You can place an order with Chen, the shopkeeper next door, for more clothes. A shipment should be arriving in about a month."

"Thanks for the clothes, really. You're a lifesaver." Hailie grinned as Mirabelle left her alone in the room, glad to wiggle out of the oversized clothes into the tank and shorts. She stepped by the cowboy on her way out and was hit with a surprising wave of remorse. He had ever right to be offended- _she_ had run into _him_, after all. Hailie scurried up to him meekly.

"Sorry for snapping at you." she muttered shyly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I should have been paying more attention, I guess. My name is Hailie; I'm the new farmer. Can we maybe start off on the right foot?" She was babbling, she knew, but she felt nervous. The man's scowl didn't seem to let up, but he did tilt his hat the slightest bit down. This seemed to be his primary way of communicating.

"Vaughn." he uttered simply. Hailie suspected this was his name, but she couldn't be sure.

"Well, uh, bye… Vaughn." She said hastily, retreating backwards with an awkward wave out the front door.

Hailie stepped out of the shop much more festively than she had come in, ready to meet the townsfolk now she was equipped with her new clothes.

* * *

Mirabelle. Vaughn. Julia. Lanna. Pierre. Denny. Sabrina. Eliza. Charlie. Chen. Ganzo.

Hailie rattled names off the top her head, the ones she remembered at least, trying to pair them with their matching faces. Julia was the sweet lady whom she had met at the café, very gracious about lending out clothes to a stranger. Pierre, the aspiring chef. Eliza, Ganzo's adorable and surprising daughter. Denny, the overly-friendly fisherman. Had she forgotten to meet anyone? She looked over her map, trying to spot any name she did not recognize. Ah-ha! She had completely forgotten to visit Taro's family, and forgotten Taro's gift!

Hailie made her way leisurely to Taro's house, grabbing an herb to gift him with as per suggestion of Julia and breathing in the lush scenery. The island was much more beautiful than she had first noticed. The sparkling cerulean sea contrasted gorgeously with the bright green grass crinkling under her worn flip-flops (another piece she had arrived with), and her earlier worries seemed like a distant memory, dissolved in the radiant sun. Hailie knocked happily on Taro's door.

A boy swung the door open, not much older than Hailie herself. His brown eyes looked tired, and he had salmon-tinted hair. He looked startled to see Hailie.

"H-hello," he stuttered, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. He was obviously not very accustomed to meeting new people.

"Hello, I'm Hailie! Is Taro here by any chance?" Hailie said with a confident smile. Elliot (Hailie assumed the boy in question was the Elliot Taro had referred to) relaxed a little at Taro's name.

"O-oh, you must be the new farmer. My name is Elliot. W-welcome." He smiled warmly, eyes shining. "Please come inside."

Hailie stepped into the house lightly, and Elliot led her to a small kitchen on their left. Upon her entry, two identical heads popped up. They both shared Elliot's strange hair color.

"Hailie, this is my mother, Felicia, and my sister, Natalie," Elliot introduced shyly, looking down. Felicia smiled with Elliot's same warm eyes, and Hailie could plainly see that Elliot's sister shared her grandpa's fiery personality by the way Natalie was sizing up her up with an unguarded expression. Felicia smiled gently, resting a slender hand on her cheek.

"Oh my, aren't you cute? Father told me all about you- how admirable of you to stay and handle the farm!"

"Admirable isn't really the word I'd use for it." Hailie said with a grumpy snarl. Taro told them 'all about her,' huh?

Elliot laughed nervously, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "Oh, but it really is a great thing, Hailie. I know the island will be thriving in no time!" Natalie scowled at her flustered younger brother.

"Right." Natalie scraped her chair back from the table. "I guess I'll see you later, Hailie," she said, stepping into her room and shutting the door. Hailie looked at the shut door with wide eyes. What was that all about? Felicia and Elliot exchanged worried glances.

"I'm so sorry, Natalie must not be feeling well." Felicia said belatedly. Silence hung in the air.

"I understand," she lied. Actually, Hailie felt kind of hurt. She set the gift for Taro on the counter with a hasty explanation, then bolted for the door. "I'll see you later then." Hailie stepped outside, trying her best to shrug off Natalie's strange behavior.

Feeling surprisingly carefree to be safely done with her introductions, Natalie's strange behavior aside, Hailie skipped into the café. Denny sat in a corner table, shoving what Hailie assumed to be fish into his mouth feverishly. He had shown Hailie some fishing moves when they had met earlier that day, and he had been friendly and nice. Hailie was glad to see him. "Hi!' she called, waving her hand and grinning. Denny grinned back.

"Hey, Hailie! Come sit over here, ok?" He called her over. She complied, plopping down across from him. He gestured wildly at the plate of fish before him while swallowing the last of his huge mouthful- Hailie assumed he was asking if she wanted some- and she shook her head. "So, Hails, how was the first day?" Hailie smiled. Hails? "Good enough, I guess. I'm almost too exhausted to even do any real farm work by now."

"Even just taking on a farm like that was amazing, ya know?" Denny said, gulping down some water in between words.

Hailie grimaced. "I wish everyone would stop saying that."

He looked puzzled. "Why?" he asked.

"Mm." Hailie hesitated, not wanting to share too much with a stranger. She decided to tell the bare minimum- Denny was very outgoing and open, after all, a safe person to talk to.

"Just a lot to live up to, you know? I'm not too strong- I don't think I can do it. Not to mention I could be some weird serial killer or something, without even knowing it!"

Denny laughed and grinned, waving off Hailie's complaints with reassurance of how great she'd be. Hailie smiled politely and nodded, quickly excusing herself. Denny didn't understand as much as she hoped he would, but that was to be expected. Even after two brief encounters she could tell he was someone constantly upbeat and optimistic. Annoying, she thought pessimistically, but admirable. Hailie sighed and made her way home to sleep.


End file.
